On April 8, NFSA Field Operations personnel attended the Polk County Fire Chiefs Association meeting hosted by the Indianola Fire Department. NFSA staff presented on the mission, goals, and work efforts of the NFSA, as well as the resources available to local fire officials and the benefits of NFSA membership.

The Polk County Fire Chiefs serve a population of roughly 500,000 people spread out over 600 square miles in and around the Iowa capitol of Des Moines. The Association is composed of more than 30 Fire Chiefs and Public Safety agency directors from fire, EMS, dispatch, sheriff, and emergency management organizations. There were representatives of a dozen agencies present for the April 8 NFSA presentation.

The mission of the Polk County Fire Chief’s Association is: “To provide the citizens of Polk County the best protection of life and property by working together to promote excellence in Fire-EMS leadership, shared training opportunities, cooperative operations and joint economic ventures.” Find out more about the Polk County Fire Chiefs Association here: http://www.pcfca.com/home.html

Two local fire officials joined NFSA as a result of our discussions, and we welcome Assistant Fire Chief Troy Harmison of Bondurant Emergency Services and Fire Marshal Craig Ver Huel of the Johnston-Grimes Metropolitan Fire Department. We sincerely appreciate the invitation to attend the Association’s meeting from NFSA member Fire Chief Jim Clack of the Ankeny Fire Department, and the hospitality extended to us by the members attending and by presiding Association President Fire Chief Craig Leu of the West Des Moines Fire Department.